Neurochemical and some related psychopharmacological aspects of Tourette's syndrome: an update

Abstract

Neurochemical investigations of Tourette's syndrome (TS) suggest that the symptoms of this disorder may be the result of an imbalance among several neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator systems. Neurochemicals which have been studied included: catecholamines; acetylcholine; tryptophan and its metabolites; the amino acids γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, phenylalanine and p-tyrosine; trace amines; opioid peptides; cyclic AMP and androgenic hormones. A suitable animal model of TS would do much to advance our understanding of this disorder, and there are some interesting recent developments in this regard.